Coking retort oven



J. VAN` AcKEREN 1,707,419

COKING RETORT OVEN Filed April 22. 1922 2 Sheets- Sheet il u Y m\\% %\A AQ 3. wf Sn TV W W SMN f mmf mwa Q mmv Mw h uw ,ww ww Y wwf Y 7 April 2, 192'9.

April 2, 1929.

.LVAN ACKEREN COKING RETOIT OVEN Filed April 22. w22 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

yUNITED STATES PATENT OFI-FICE.

JOSEPH VAN AGKEREN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOP'PERS COMPANYL/OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION-OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COKING- RETORT OVEN.

applicativa med apra 22, 1922. y serial No. 555,942.-

This invention comprehends improve-1 ments of especial utility in the coking retort oven art; and also comprehends certain improvements applicable to coking retort 5 ovens of .the wellknown Koppers regenerative type exemplified in the patenty to I-I. Koppers No. 818,033 dated April 17, 1906, and in the patent to Joseph Becker No. 1,374,546 dated April 12, 1921. y

The invention has for objects to incorporate in a .coke oven structure a novel -and improved means for introducing steam into the coking chambers or retorts of such ovens, the improvements contemplated by the invention having provision or superheating the steam prior to its introduction into the coking chamber or ret-ort, and for effecting thorough distribution and diffusion of the steam throughout the mass of the material within the retort. By the inventionthe steam flow areas are substantially protected from deposits of 'coke or ashes from the retort chambers with which such steam flow areas communicate, and a thorough distribution of the steam into the retorts is effected with a resultant reduction in the velocity of steam required for steaming the charge, and yet Without any necessity for employing nozzles for introducing the steam into the retort.

In addition to the vgeneral objects recited above, the invention has for further objects such other improvements or advantages in construction andoperation as are found to obtain in the structures and devices hereinafter described or claimed. In the accompan ing drawings, forming a. part of this specification and showing, for purposes of` exemplification, a preferred form and manner .in' which the invention may be embodied and practiced, but Without limiting'the claimed invention to such illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken transversely through a coking retort oven of the type such as that above specified and equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the view being taken lon-` gitudinally through a coking chamber and the regenerators therebeneath on planes indicated by the line B-B of Fig. 3;

liig. 2 is a horizontal section through one of the coking chambers or `restorts and thel contiguous heating walls, taken ina plane indictea by the 1in@ o o of Fig. a;

Fig. 3 is a composite vertical sectional elevation taken longitudinally of the oven battery on the different planes indicated by the lines A-A and D--D of Fig. 2; and

Fig 4 is an enlar ed sectional elevation through the steam ow passages taken in the plane indicated by the lineD-D of Fig. 2.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts throughout the several views.

In its present embodiment, the :invention is incorporated in a coking retort oven or battery having features of the Wellknown Koppers cross regenerative type exemplified in the patents to H. Koppers and Joseph Becker hereinabove mentioned.

A retort oven or battery of this type includes in its construction crosswise extending -iparallel heating walls constituted of series of vertical flame or combustion flues,

elongated coking chambers or retorts intermediate the heating walls and parallel therewith, and crosswise extending regenerators located at a lower Alevel than the coking chambers and the heating walls and parallel therewith. For convenience, the present description will be confined to this embodiment of the invention; features of construction are, however, capable of other applications consequently, the invention is not confined in its scope to the specific use and specific embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings: there are illutrated sectional views of a coke oven battery of the by-product type, such as has been hereinbefore mentioned, which battery` embodies in its construction a plurality of crosswise elongated heating walls 11 and-a plurality of. intermediate crosswise elongated coking chambers or retorts 12. The heating walls 11 form the side Walls of the respective coking chambers 12, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, and in the 100 present instance, are directly supported by the heavy supporting or pillar 'walls 13 which extend crosswise of the battery and are locatedl beneath the respective heating Walls 11. These pillar walls, together with 105 other walls, collectively form the main support for the entire su erstructure of the oven battery and are t emselves supported bers in battery rests. The otherl walls 22 extend directly'beneath the respective coking chama-rallelism between each two adjacent pill)ar walls 13v and suoli supporting walls 22 provide two regenerators located respectively on the opposite sides of such Walls 22 and between adjacent pill'ar walls 13. As statedbefore, the several walls 22 also have the function'with the pillai walls 13 of supporting the weight of the battery superstructure.

The coal to be coked is charged into the. several. c-ol'iing chambers or ovens through charging holes 14 located in the top 15,0f the oven battery and positioned directly above the retorts of chambers 12, as shown in Fig. 1. These charging holes 14 are equipped with the usual removable covers (not shown) which vare removed during charging yof the individual chambers or retorts and are placed in position to close the tops of such retorts during the entire'icokr ing or distilling operation. The gases of distillation pass from the tops of the several retorts 12 through gas outlets 16 and thence through ascension pipes (not shown) to the usual gas collecting main lwhich carries the distillation'products to the by-product recovery apparatus. A j

Heat for coking thecharges of coal in the several ovens or retorts 12 is derived from the heating walls 11, which, as above mentioned, extend crosswise o f the battery at the sides of the coking chambers. Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, eachheating wall 11 is constituted of a plurality of vertical flame or combustion flues 17. The fiame lues of each heating wall are, in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, operatively disposed into a single group, that 'is to say-all of the fines of each heating wall operate concurrently as up flow or downflow fines, and, when flame lues on one side of the coking chamber are burning, or operating for upflow, the flame fines on the opposite side ofl the same coking chalnber are operating for downiow-to permit exhaust of the waste gases.

The crosswise generators 18 of the retort oven or battery are located at a lower level than the aforesaid heating walls 11 and coking chambers 12 and -extend in parallelism between the pillar walls 13 and the other supporting walls 22. Located in the middle lengthwise vertical plane of the coke oven battery is a vertical partition 19, as shown in Fig. 1, which partition extends all the .Way up from the mat of the battery to the bottom of the overlying coking chamber and from one to "the other of the walls 13 and 22. The regenerators, which are respectively located on opp`osite sides of the battery extend inwardly to said partition-19 and are separatedthereby asclear# ly shown in Fig. 1. Preferably each regenerator is divided into an inner and outer compartment by a vertical partition 109 located between the aforesaid partition 19- and the side of the battery. The partitions 109 however do not extend clear up to the bottom of the coking chamber overlying the regenerator.

Each regenerator 18 is a chamber conta/ining open brickwork, commonly called checkerwork, and indicated at 20, with a distributing sole channel 21 underneath and opening up into such checkerwork. The regenerators are heated, in alternation, by the hot combustion products that are exhausted from the flame or combustion flues and then impart such heat to the medium that they feed .into these fiame lues. The regenerators are grouped into pairs K and L, as shown in Fig. 3, the regenerators of the pairs K alternating with the regenerators of the pairs L. Each pair of such regenerators is provided with aseries of ducts 23 all of` which lead respectively to individual flame flues 17 of the same heating wall. With this construction each flame flue 17 communicates by a pair of ducts 23 with adjacent separate regenerators through which ioW is maintained concurrently in the same direction. When the regenerators of the pairs K and their communicabl connected flame flues are operating for infiow the regenerators -of the alternate pairs L and their communicably connected alternate' flame flues are operating for otiow to permit exhaust of the waste gases.

Each flame flue 17 of each heating wall has at its top a port or opening 24 for draft and the passing of combustion products or waste gas from the flame within the fiue. These ports 24 open up into horizontal or bus fiues 25 formed in the heating walls and connecting all of the vertical flues that communicate with such horizontal iues25 by means of the ports 24. According to the present embodiment of the invention, the

horizontal flues 25 of each heating wall are' communicably connected by means of passageways 26 respectively with' `the corresponding horizontal flues of one of the next adjacentheating walls. Thus the entire flow from the heating wall, within the flues of which combustion is being maintained'passes downwardly through all of the next adjacent heating Wall and each re versal operation is accompanied by a reversal in direction in fiow of all the ilues of cach heating wall.

'The draft through the ports 24 may be regulated by means of the usual damper-s or sliding briclgs 27, positioned in the ordinary way in thel bottoms of the horizontal flues 25 and adapted to be reached by access flues 28 which extend from the top of the horizontal filles 25 ineach heating wall to the top 15 of` fines of thecated Extending crosswise of the battery in thel pillar walls 13 and located beneath the heating walls 11 thereabove 'are `gas supply channels 29 for the purpose of supplying coke oven gas to the several flame lues. T heelninnels 29 respectively con'nnunicate with `the individual lues 17 by means 'of ducts 31 that lea-d from such channels 29 individually into the bottoms ofl individual flues. lVithin vthe several ducts are disposed thc usual nozzles 32. It will be vunderstood that the battery may be operated alternatively with the use of a special re-` generator gas such as roducer gas, as the fuel. during such pro ucer gasoperation. One regenerator of eachpair of inflow regenerators may be optionally connecter with a producer gas main by a mechanism such as is disclosed in the co-pending application of Joseph 'Becker for Letters Patent in the UnitedStates tiled April 23, 1920, Serial No. 376,126, now Pate-'nt No; 1,416,322, granted May 16, 1922.

In accordance with the present invention the soles or bottoms 33 of the several colring chambers or retorts 12 are respectively provided vwith a channel 34. The several channels 34 extend longitudinallyof the coking chamber and from side to side of the battery and constitute steam flow passages lodirectly above the supporting Walls 22 and contiguous to the tops of the regenerators 18. Steam may be introduced simultaneously into both ends of said channels 34 through steam supply pipes 35 located on the opposite sides of the oven battery and individually provided with conf trolling valves 36. The discharge ends ot' the respective steam supply pipes 35 are let into removable channelled plugsl 37 which may be inserted into the opposite ends of the channels or passageways 34. The channels 34 receive the steam directly from the supply pipes 35 'andbe'cause of their proximity to the hot gasesflowing through the regenerator ducts 23 and the tops of the regenerators 18 function as superheating passages in whichthe steam introduced through the pipes 35 may be superheated to a. high temperature, for example to 1,200o liahrenheit.y Byproviding steam supply pipes at both ends of the channels 34, these channels may be rapidly supplied with steam, although the ylatter moves at a very low velocity.

'lhe steam supplied to both ends of the channelsl 34 travels toward the central portion ot' said channels and Jfrom such center portion passes through a plurality of discharge ports 38 into the intermediate distributing channels 39. The intermediate distributing channels 39 are located respecing means of tively above lthe superheating channels 3'4. It is preferable to provide the dischar e ports 38 only at the central portions of t e channels 34, in order to force the steam to travel through the channels 34 a distance great enough to etlectthe desired superhea'ting ot the steam. From each distributing channel 39 thesteam passes through a great .number of distributing ports 40 dispersed at frequent intervals from end to end of eacli channel 39 and'leading into a pair ot' horlzontal distributing K ducts 41 located above each channel 39. TheA ducts 41 Valso extend from side to side of the battery stmoture and are rlocated above the respective channels 39 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the retort. Each horizontal duct 41 communicates with the interior of its' corresponding coking chamber or fre; tort by means of a series of discharge ports 42 also dispersed in great numbers at intervals along each duct 41l from end to end thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, the ports 42 that lead from the ducts 41 into the coking chambers are preferably staggered relatively to the ducts tributing channels 39 with the horizontal ducts 41. This arrangement avoids the deposit ashes or other solid matter in the distributing channels 39 and also provides an extremely diffuse distribution of the steam ilow into the corresponding coking chamber, with a relatively low velocity. The .opposite ends of the horizontal ducts '41 and channels 39 may be closed by plugs 43 `let into the sides of the battery structure.

The plugs 43, as Well as the plugs 37 are removable at will, when it is desired to clean out any of the steam loW spaces. By providing the great number of ports 42 and 40, the elnployment of steam nozzles for introducing'the steam into the colring chambers or retorts is entirely eliminated, while, at the same time, the area through which steam is diffused into the charge is greatly increased.

In the carbonization process, the coking of the coal proceeds inwardly from the opposite sides lofthe charge of coal in each coking chamber, with the result that the center or core of the charge remains in a more or less .gumlike or sticky consistency until the charge is completely coked. By the special-steam flow passage and distributthe invention, the steam is diffused into the sides of the coking mass of coal, so that the steam may pass, highly superheated and with a relatively low velocit-y, freely through vthe coke already formed on the opposite sides of the coal charge. By superhe'ating the steam, undue cooling of the charge is avoided and the water gas reaction is promoted. Moreover, the charge is prevented from being cooled tothe point of sticking to the bottom or side 40 that connect the dis-I leo Walls of the retort', so that any difficulty in pushing the charge is entirely eliminate The batt'ery is-especially constructed, so as 'to permit'the necessary horizontal espansion caused by the high temperatures,` wlthout opening up any of Ithe steam ducts or passages in suclrmanner as to cause short clrcuiting or leakages of the steam flow. As shown 1n Figs. 3 and 4, the verticalexpan.-

sion joints 44, for permitting the horizontal expansion are located on opposite sides of the steam How area and remotely from any of the ,steam passageu'ays. With this construction the necessary expansion may take place freely, without affecting the steam flow area.

The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in .a particular form of construction but may be variously embodied Within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim: 1. In a coke oven battery, in combination: coking chambers; heating walls formi-ng the sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to impart coking heat to the masses of carbonaceous material within such coking chambers; regenerators communicably connectedwith said heating Walls; steam-superheating channels located below the respective coking chambers and extending from side to'side of the battery; intermediate steam distributing channels located above said superheating channels and communicablyconnected 'therewith by fports disposed only at the central portions o said superheating channels; upperpairs of steamy ing steam into the opposite ends of the aforesaid steam 'superheating channels;

.substantially as specified.

2. In a coke oven battery,in combination: coking chambers; heating walls forming the sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to impart coking heat to the masses of carbonaceous material `within such coking chambers; regenerators communicablyl connected' with said heating valls; steaan-superheating channels located below the respective coking chambers and extending from side to side of the battery; intermediate steam Adistributing channels located above said super-heating -channels and communicably connected therewith; upper pairs of steam distributing channels corresponding to the aforesaid intermediate distributing channels and communicably connected therewith by ports dispersed at intervals from end toend of such intermediate distributing channels, the aforesaid upper distributing channels of said pairs being disposed respectively on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the coking chambersand being communicably. connected with the aforesaid coking chambers by discharge ports dispersed at intervals from end to end ofsaid channels and staggered relatively to the ports connecting the intermediate distributing channels with the aforesaid upper pairs of distributing channels; and means for introducing steam into the opposite ends of the'aforesaid steam-superheating channels; substantially as specified.

3. In acoke oven battery, in combination: coking chambers; heating walls forming the sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to impart coking heat to the masses of carbonaceous material within such coking chambers; regenerators communicably connected' with said heating walls; steam-superheating channelsk located below the respective ,"colring chambers and extending from side to side of the battery; intermediate steam distributing"channels located above said superheating channels and communicably connected therewith; upper' pairs of steam distributing channels corresponding to the aforesaid intermediate distributing channels and communicably connected therewith by ports dispersed aty intervals from end to end of such intermediate distributing channels, the aforesaid upper distributing channels of said pairs being communicably connected with the aforesaid coking chambers by discharge ports dispersed at intervals from end to end of said channels and staggered relatively to the ports connecting` the intermediate distributing channels with the aforesaid upper pairs of distributing channels; and means for introducing steam into the opposite ends of the laforesaid steam superheatiug channels; substantially as specified.

4. In a coke oven battery, in combination: coking chambers; heating Walls forming the Sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to'impart coking heat to the masses of carbonaceous material within such coking chambers; regenerators communicably connected ivith said heating walls; steam-superheating channels Alocated below the `respect-ive coking chambers and extending from side to side of the battery; intermediate steam distributing 'channels located above said superhcating channels and communicably connected' therewith; upper pairs of steam distributing channels corresponding to the aforesaid intermediate distributing channels and communicably connected therewith by ports dispersed at intervals from end toend fof such intermediate distributing channels, the aforesaid upper distributing channels of said" pairs being communicably connected with the aforesaid coking Chambers by discharge ports dispersed at intervals from end to end of said channels; and means for introducing steam into the opposite ends of the superheating channels; specified. A

5. In a coke oven battery, in combination: coking chambers; heating walls forming the sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to impart coking heat to the masses of carbonaceous material within such coking chambers; regenerators communicably connected with said heating walls; steam-superheating channels located below the respective coking chambers and extending from side to side of the ibattery; intermediate steam distributing channels located substantially as 'above said superheating channels and communicably connected therewith by ports disposed only at the central portions of said superheatmgchannels; upper` pairs of steam distributing channels corresponding to the aforesaid intermediate distributing channels and communicably connected therewith by ports dispersed at intervals from end to end of such intermediate.distributing channels, the aforesaid upper distributin channels of said pairs being communicab y connected' with the aforesaid coking chambers by discharge port-s dispersed at intervals from end to end of said channels and staggered relatively to the ports connecting the intermediate distributin channels with the aforesaid upper airs o distributing channels; and means or introducing steam into the opposite ends of the aforesaid steam su erheating channels; substantially --as speci ed.

v 6.- In a coke oven battery, coking chambers; heating walls forming the sides of said coking chambers and respectively adapted to impart coking heat 'to the masses of carbonaceous material within such coking chambers; regenerators communicably connected with said heating walls; steam-superheating channels located below the respective-coking chambers and extending from side toside of the battery; intermediate steam distributing channels locate above said superheating channels and communicablyconn'ected therewith by ports disposed onl atv the central portions of said superheatlng channels; upper pairs of steam distributing channels corresponding to the aforesaid intermediate distributing channels and lcommunicabl-y connected therewith by ports dispersed at intervals from end to end of such intermediate distributing channels,

aforesaid steamin combination;I

the aforesaid upper distributing channels of said pairs being disposed respectively on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the coking chambers and being communicably connected with the aforesaid coking lchambers by discharge ports dispersedvat intel'-A to end of said channels; and.

vals from end means for introducing steam into the opposite ends of the aforesaid steam su erheating channels; substantially. as speci ed..

7. In a coke oven battery', coking chambers, heating walls, regenerators communicably connected withsaid heating walls, steam superheating passageways located below the respective coking chambers and extending from side to side of the battery, combined with multi-ported means extending from side to side of the battery for distributing the steam from said passa eways into said coking chambers, said istributing means being communicably connected with said passageways only at the central portions thereof substantially as specified.

8. In a coke oven battery, coking chambersf heating walls, `regenerators communicably ronnected with said heating walls, steam superheating passageways located below the respective coking chambers and extending from side to side of the battery, combined with channel means provided with steam outlets and connected with the superheating passageways and extending from side to side of the battery for distributing the steam from said passageways into sai cokinnr chambers; substantially as specified.

9. coking retort oven comprising a-coking' chamber, and heating means therefor, the oven structure being provided with a steam-superheating flow passage exposed to extraneous means, combined with a channel'means provided with steam outlets and connected with the super-heating passage for diiusely distributing into said coking chamber the steam superheated in said passage; substantially as combination: a -heat 'treating chamber and heating means therefor, the structure being provided with a steam superheating passage combined with multi orted means for distributing the steam rom said'passage linto said chamber, said distributing means beheat derived from said heating combination: a heat treating channels; substantially as specified.

30 whereby the resultant velocity ing communicably connected with said passage only at the central portions thereof; substantially as specified.' i

12. In a coke open battery, or the like, in

heating means therefor, the structure being provided with a main steam distributing channel and an auxiliary steam distributing channel connected by ports with said main distributing channel, the auxiliary distributing channel being communicably connected with said heat treating chamber by discharge ports staggered relatively to the ports connecting the main and auxiliary 13. The combination as defined by claim 12 in which the main and auxiliary distributing channels extend from said to side of the battery and are provided with plugs in their ends to permit cleaning of the same; substantially as specified.

14. The process of operating a coke oven battery, or the like, comprising a heat treating chamber, heating means therefor, and a steam super-heating flow passage open at both ends and connected intermediate its ends to the heat treating chamber: which process consists in introducing steam simultaneously into both ends of said passage of the steam chamber andv is decreased over that which would obtain from introducing steam 4into one end only; substantially as specified.l

15. In a coke oven battery, or the like, in

combination: a heat treating chamber; heatf.'

ing means therefor; means for preheating the fuel supplied to said heating means; andr a steam super-heating How passage for introducing steam into said chamber, said battery structure comprising brickwork provided with expansion joints between portions oi" said brickwork intermediate the several parts, and. said steam super-heating flow passage being located in unit of said briclnvork lying entirely Within expansion joints;vsnb 4.

stantially` as' speciied.

16. In a coke oven battery, or the like, in combination: a heat treating chamber; heati ng means therefor and a steam supcrl1cat ing flow passage for introducing` steam into said chamber, said battery structure compris- ,ing brickwork provided With expansion joints between portions of said brickwork intermediate the several parts and said steam super-heating How passage vbeing located .i

in unit of saidr brickwork lying entirely Within expansion joints; substantially as specified.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN 

